Young and old, black and white, cleanshaven and sporting scraggly beards. Those who attended an event Friday designed to provide services to homeless people came from all walks of life.
Tucson Homeless Connect was a one-stop services event where 300 homeless people, including entire families, received assistance from more than 30 service providers. The event was geared mostly toward the "newly homeless," a population that's rapidly growing as the recession continues.
The Sunday school classrooms and multipurpose hall of Trinity Presbyterian Church, 400 E. University Blvd., were transformed into governmental agencies, salons, employment offices and health clinics. All provided free services that included new ID cards, haircuts, physical and mental-health exams, clothes, referrals for shelter and employment opportunities.
More than 100 volunteers were on hand to walk those seeking services through the process step by step. Organizers say that it's a rare occasion when the homeless can access such a variety of services in one place. Because the newly homeless are less versed in what services they qualify for and how to obtain them, events like this are especially beneficial, organizers said.
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"The newly homeless don't have the survival skills that the chronically homeless have," said Don Blascak, chairman of the Tucson Homeless Connect Committee.
Claudia Langone recently found herself homeless for the first time. "I never would have dreamed that I would be homeless," she said.
Langone and her son, Jordan Langley, 5, have been living in the Salvation Army Hospitality House, an emergency shelter downtown, for two weeks. Their situation began with seemingly small setbacks that quickly spiraled. Roommate issues led to a loss of housing, which started a domino effect on her ability to gain access to transportation, employment and child care.
Officials say stories like Langone's are becoming all too common.
"We have seen increases of homelessness in the past, but never like this," Blascak said. "It has reached pandemic proportions."
And while the number of chronically homeless individuals in Tucson is decreasing, the number of first–time homeless people is rising, according to the Annual Homeless Street Count report, compiled by the Tucson Planning Council for the Homeless.
The findings back up the notion that the nation's economic downturn and historically high foreclosure rates are causing increases in the numbers of newly homeless. The report also found homelessness in Tucson increased by 14 percent from 2007 to 2009. But officials warn that even that percentage falls short of reality.
Although counts of and research on the number of homeless people are valuable and necessary, Leslie Carlson, coordinator for the Plan to End Homelessness, Pima County, said that the total number of homeless individuals in Tucson and the state is "far worse than estimates suggest."
Tucson Homeless Connect is a part of the Plan to End Homelessness, a program put in place by the Tucson City Council and the Pima County Board of Supervisors in 2006. Friday's event was based on Project Homeless Connect, which has been modeled nationwide in more than 170 cities and counties.
"I'm so pleased that we were able to help so many people get connected with services," Carlson said.
Organizers of the event have partnered with the Tucson Veterans Stand Down and Hope Fest with the goal of offering continued one-stop services throughout the year to those in need.
An Increasing Problem
A report by the Tucson Planning Council for the Homeless and the Shelter Survey, conducted by the Arizona Department of Economic Security, shows that homelessness is rising in Tucson.
Year: 2007 2008 2009
Number of homeless people: 3,109 3,131 3,552